Unit sinuous spring and brace rod



Aug. 5, 1958 H. c. FLINT ,9

UN'IT smuous SPRING AND BRACE ROD Filed Oct. 16, 1953 I s Sheets-Sheet 115- 14 33- 147 is; BY 4;

arrows/1K5 Aug. 5, 1958 H. C. FLINT 2,845,996

UNIT SINUOUS SPRING AND BRACE ROD Filed Oct. 16, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 vI INVENTOR. H y/M4 6. mm?

' Aug. 5, 1958 H. FLINT I UNIT SINUOUS SPRING AND BRACE ROD Filed Oct.16, 1953 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 .T INVENTOR.

E LE. f/y'zdrr f 27/772 United States UNIT SINUOUS SPRWG AND BRACE RODHyland C. Flint, Birmingham, Mich., assignor to American Metal ProductsCompany, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application October16, 1953, Serial No. 386,525

14 Claims. (Cl. 155179) The end portions of such a spring stripembodying the 735:

spring unit of the present invention have the front supporting portionof substantially V formation, while the rear portion is deflecteddownwardly and forwardly and joined to the main'central portion of theunit.

the variable spacing of the torsion bars and the brace provided by theextension from the rear end of the strip to the forward portion of theload-supportirng area of the unit. The V front end is so formed thatunder an initial load a portion thereof collapses upon itself toincrease the support provided thereafter upon further application ofload. The bracing bar formed at the rear end of the spring strip unitmay be a separate element secured in rigid or pivoted relation at theend of the spring strip unit end. The bracing bar follows theconstruction of that illustrated, described and claimed in the copendingapplication of R. J. Williams et al., Serial No. 226,771, filed May 17,1951, now Patent No. 2,764,227, granted September 25, 1956, and assignedto the assignee of the present invention.

Accordingly, the main objects of the present invention are: to provide aspring strip unit for a seat cushion having parallel torsion bars spaceddifferent amounts apart and a brace provided between a deflected rearend portion of the strip and the forward portion of the load bearingarea of the unit; to provide a V-shaped supporting end for a springstrip unit of a seat cushion having a portion which bottoms on anotherportion to thereby increase the resistance to deflection of the V-shapedsection as the load increases; to form a spring strip with an inwardlyprojecting end to which a separate bracing bar may be secured in fixedor in pivotal relation, and, in general, to provide a spring strip unitwhich produces a desired contour when loaded that has a support at oneend which increases its resistance to deflection as the load increasesand which is simple in construction and economical of manufacture.

Other objects and features of novelty of the invention will bespecifically pointed out or will become apparent when referring, for abetter understanding of the invention, to the following description,taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a seat cushion embodying features ofthe present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the structure illustrated inFig. 1, taken on the line 2-2 thereof;

Controlled contour is obtained in the spring strip through 2,845,996 Patente d Aug. 5, 1958 "ice Fig. 3 is a plan view of the structureillustrated in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a broken view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 2, after apredetermined load has been applied to the cushion;

Fig. 5 is a view of an unattached spring unit, similar to thatillustrated in Fig. 2, showing a modified form thereof;

Fig. 6 is a broken view of structure, similar to that illustrated inFig. 2, illustrating another form of the invention;

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a view of structure, similar to that illustrated in Fig. 7,showing a further form which the invention may assume;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged, broken sectional view of structure, similar tothat illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, showing another form thereof;

Fig. 10 is a plan view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a view of structure, similar to that illustrated in Fig. 9,showing another form of the invention, and

Fig. 12 is a plan view of the structure illustrated in Fig. 11.

The cushion illustrated in Fig. 1 has covering material 11 appliedthereto over a frame 12 which supports a plurality of spring units 13.The spring unit 13 follows the form of the spring strip illustrated,described and claimed in the above-mentioned copending application andembodies transverse torsion bars 14 joined by side bars 15, most of thelatter of which are parallel to the side edges of the strip, while thetorsion bars 14 are parallel to each other and normal to the length ofthe strip. It will be noted that the side bars 15 are of varying lengthto vary the strength of the various portions of the strip to resistdownward deflection, to thereby permit the load supporting area 16 ofthe strip to assume a desirable contour under various load conditions.It will be noted that certain of the bars, such as the bar 17, have beenbent in the center to provide two angularly disposed straight portionsso as to produce a desired contour to the load supporting portion of thespring unit while providing further strength to the bar against bending.

At the rear end of the load supporting portion 16 of the strip 13, thetransverse bar 18 is secured in an eye 19 secured to the rear frameelement 21. The Wire of the strip beyond the bar 18 is deflected beneaththe strip to form a side bar 22 which preferably extends forwardly, asillustrated in Figs. 6 and 7. The side bar 22 is extended to form a loop23 and further extended at 24 to prvide a brace rod portion having atransversely extending end 25 which is secured by a clamping band 26 toa transverse torsion bar 14 of the load supporting portion 16 of thestrip.

The forward end of the spring has a V-shaped supporting portionembodying an inwardly deflected section 27 comprising three loops 28, 29and 30 to which an angularly and outwardly deflected section 31 extends.The section 31 comprises loops 32, 33 and 34, along with alongitudinally extending side bar 35 which forms with the adjacenttransverse bar of the loop 34 attaching means for the front end of theunit. The structure for and method of supporting the forward end of thespring unit is illustrated, described and claimed in the copendingapplication of Hyland C. Flint et al., Serial No. 390,228, filedNovember 4, 1953, and assigned to the assignee of the present invention.When a plurality of the units are assembled on a frame to form acushion, the forward transverse torsion bar 14 of the load supportingportion 16 of the unit supports a border wire 36 which is securedthereto by the clamping bands 26 in the conventional manner. The loop 30of the section 27 and the adjacent loop 32 of the section 31 aredisposed at an angle to the loops 28 and 29, and 33 and 34,respectively. With such an arrangement, the side bar of the loop 30'will move into engagement with the side bar of the loop 32 disposedtherebelow when a predetermined 'load has been applied to the loadsupporting portion 16 of the units. Further loading of the loadsupporting portion 16 will cause the loops 28 and 29 to deflect relativeto the loops 33 and 34 but, because of the shorter length of the treeportion of the sections, a greater resistance will be offered todeflection so that a greater load may be supported by the supportingportion of the units at the forward end of the strips as the load isincreased thereon. This is illustrated in Fig. 4 where the loops 30 and32 are disposed in engagement with each other, with the shortenedsections extending therefrom.

In Fig. the same spring unit is illustrated, with the exception that theportion 24 of the bracing rod is bent at 37 to have the end extendingportion 38 project upwardly at a greater angle when engaging the torsionbar 14 of the load supporting portion 16 of the strip when securedthereto by the band 26. By adjusting the angle of the extending portion38 of the bracing rod, more or less support is provided to the loadsupporting portion of the unit which aids further in controlling thecontour of the unit when loaded.

Referring to Figs. 6 and 7, a separate bracing bar 39 is provided on theend of the unit 13 attached to the forwardly extending portion 41thereof. In this relationship, the inwardly sloping side bar 22 has atorsion bar 41 extended at 42 and reversely bent at 43. The bracing bar39 is similar to that described and claimed in the above mentionedapplication of R. J. Williams et al., and embodies a straight portion 44having an angularly disposed end portion 45 which is secured by a band46 to a transverse bar 14 of the spring unit. The opposite end istwisted at 47, in the nature of a pigtail, and is hooked over thetorsion bar 41. A loop 48 may be provided in the straight portion 44 topermit longitudinal extension thereof, which loop functions to engagethe end 43 of the torsion bar 4-1, to thereby rigidly lock the brace bar39 in extension of the side bar 22. By employing a separate bar 39, acoating 49 may be applied thereto, the coating being of plastic orsimilar sounddeadening material to prevent any noise from beingdeveloped through the engagement of the torsion bars of the strip withthe bracing bar when the load supporting portion 16 of the unit isdeflected.

In Fig. 8 a similar construction is illustrated, with the exception thatthe torsion bar 41 has a bent end 51 there on which prevents the coiledend 47 from moving from the torsion bar 41 and which permits the end 47to pivot thereon. The difierence between the construction illustrated inFig. 8 and that of Fig. 7 is that the bracing bar 39 of the former hasthe coiled end 47 disposed in pivoted relation to the torsion bar 41,while in the latter it is in fixed relation thereto. It is to beunderstood that the straight portion 44 of the bracing bar 39 may bebent so as to have an annularly extending end portion 38 which may bepresented at difierent angles to the load supporting portion 16 of thespring unit to change the force produced by the bracing bar, to therebyfurther control the contour of the unit under load.

The structure of Fig. 9 is similar to that of Figs. 6 and 7, the spring13 having the downwardly sloping side bar 22 from which a lateralportion 41 extends to form a C-shaped loop with the side and lateralportions 56 and 57. A separate bracing bar 53 is secured by the twistedpigtail-like end portion 47 to the lateral portion 41. The bracing baras illustrated in Fig. 9 has a substantially horizontal portion 54 andan upwardly extending angular portion 55 that engages the forwardportion of the load bearing section of the spring 13 to which it issecured by a clamping band 14. The angular relationship of the portions54 and 55 of the bar 53 is similar to the relationship of the portion ofthe spring 16 of Fig. 5 indicated at 37. It will thus be seen that thestructure of Figs. 9 and 10 is similar to that of Figs. 6 and 7, withthe exception that the bar 39 has been replaced by a bar 53 which has ashape of the extending bar portion 23 of the structure of Fig. 5.

The structure of Figs. ll and 12 is similar to that of Fig. 8, with theexception that the spring 13 has a bracing bar 53 secured thereto whichhas angular portions 54 and 55, the same as the bar 53 of Figs. 9 and10. The pigtail end portion 47 is secured over the bar 56 which extendslaterally from the sloping side bar portion 2.2 in a manner to permitfree pivotal movement thereon. In the structure of Figs. 9 and l0, thelateral portion 57 extends over a loop 53 of the bracing bar 53 andthereby prevents the pivoting of the pigtail end on the lateral barportion 41. The springs of Figs. 9 to 12 are, therefore, similar tothose of Figs. 6, 7 and 8, with the exception that the bracing bar 53has two portions 54 and S5 in angular relation to each other, the sameas the bracing bar portion of the spring illustrated in Fig. 5.

What is claimed is:

1. A spring unit having a load supporting portion with an end portionabruptly bent and extended inwardly therebelow from which a straightportion extends forwardly and upwardly to engage the under side of theload supporting portion of the unit in spaced substantially parallelrelation thereto, the end of the load supporting portion where theabrupt bending occurs being the point at which the end of the unit isattached to a support.

2. A spring unit having a load supporting portion with an end portionabruptly bent and extended inwardly therebelow from which a straightportion extends forwardly and upwardly to engage the under side of theload supporting portion of the unit in spaced substantially parallelrelation thereto, said forwardly extending portion being a continuationof the wire forming the load supporting portion, the end of the loadsupporting portion where the abrupt bending occurs being the point atwhich the end of the unit is attached to a support.

3. A spring unit having a load supporting portion with an end portionabruptly bent and extended inwardly therebelow from which a straightportion extends forwardly and upwardly to engage the under side of theload supporting portion of the unit in spaced substantially parallelrelation thereto, the forwardly extending'portion being a separateelement rigidly secured to the inwardly extending end portion at therear end of the load supporting portion, the end of the load supportingportion where the abrupt bending occurs 'being the point at which theend of the unit is' attached to a support.

4. A spring unit having a load supporting portion with an end portionabruptly bent and extended inwardly therebelow from which a straightportion extends forwardly and upwardly to engage the under side of theload supporting portion of the unit in spaced substantially parallelrelation thereto, the forwardly extending portion being a bracingelement having pivotal relationship with the inwardly extending endportion at the rear end of the load supporting portion, the end of theload supporting portion where the abrupt bending occurs being the pointat which theend of the unit is attached to a support.

5. A spring unit having a load supporting portion with an end portionextended inwardly therebelow from which a portion extends forwardly andupwardly to engage the under side of the load supporting portion of theunit, the forwardly extending portion being a bracing element havingpivotal relationship with the inwardly extending end portion at the rearend of the load supporting portion, a supporting portion at the forwardend of the load supporting portion of the spring unit formed by areversely bent inwardly extending section, and an outwardly extendingsection angularly disposed thereto with the sections in substantially Vrelation, the adjacent loops at the joined portion of the sections beingdisposed in angular relation to the adjacent portions of the sectionswhich are in greater angular relationship to each other.

6. A spring unit having a load supporting portion with an end portionextended inwardly therebelow from which a portion extends forwardly andupwardly to engage the under side of the load supporting portion of theunit, the forwardly extending portion being a bracing element havingpivotal relationship with the inwardly extending end portion at the rearend of the load supporting portion, a supporting portion at the forwardend of the load supporting portion of the spring unit formed by areversely bent inwardly extending section, and an outwardly extendingsection angularly disposed thereto with the sections in substantially Vrelation, the outwardly extending section terminating in an end portiondisposed parallel to the length of the unit.

7. A spring unit embodying a load supporting portion made of wire bentback and forth to provide parallel transverse torsion bars joined byside bars, certain of the side bars being of different lengths andhaving an angular bend in the center, sections of loops beneath theforward end of the load supporting portion, the adjacent sectionextending rearwardly, the section therebelow extending forwardly, thetwo sections being disposed in V relationship, the end bar of theforwardly extending section being disposed parallel to the length of theload supporting portion of the unit.

8. A spring unit embodying a load supporting portion made of wire bentback and forth to provide parallel transverse torsion bars joined byside bars, certain of the side bars being of different lengths andhaving an angular bend in the center, sections of loops at the forwardend of the load supporting portion being bent rearwardly and reverselybent to have the sections disposed in V relationship, the end bar of theterminal section being disposed parallel to the length of the loadsupporting portion of the unit, and a loop extending inwardly under therear end of the load supporting portion and forwardly of the torsion barat the end of the load supporting portion of the unit, said loop havingan extending bracing bar disposed in engagement with a forwardlydisposed torsion bar of the load supporting portion of the spring unit,the junction between the inwardly extending loop and the rear end of theload supporting portion forming the point at which the rear portion ofthe unit is attached to a support.

9. A spring unit embodying a load supporting portion made of wire bentback and forth to provide parallel transverse torsion bars joined byside bars, certain of the side bars being of different lengths andhaving an angular bend in the center, sections of loops at the forwardend of the load supporting portion being bent rearwardly and reverselybent to have the sections disposed in V relationship, the end bar of theterminal section being disposed parallel to the length of the loadsupporting portion of the unit, and a loop extending inwardly under therear end of the load supporting portion and forwardly of the torsion barat the end of the load supporting portion of the unit, said loop havingan extending bracing bar disposed in engagement with a forwardlydisposed torsion bar of the load supporting portion of the spring unit,said forwardly extending bracing bar being bent to in crease the angleof engagement with the load supporting portion of the unit to providegreater support therefor.

10. A spring unit embodying a load supporting portion made of wire bentback and forth to provide parallel transverse torsion bars joined byside bars, certain of the side bars being of difierent lengths andhaving an angular bend in the center, sections of loops at the forwardend of the load supporting portion being bent rearwardly and reverselybent to have the sections disposed in V relationship, the end bar of theterminal section being disposed parallel to the length of the loadsupporting portion of the unit, and a loop extending inwardly under therear end of the load supporting portion and forwardly of the torsion barat the end of the load supporting portion of the unit, said loop havingan extending bracing bar disposed in engagement with a forwardlydisposed torsion bar of the load supporting portion of the spring unit,said forwardly extending bracing bar being bent to increase the angle ofengagement with the load supporting portion of the unit to providegreater support therefor, said forwardly extending bracing bar being aseparate element which is secured in fixed relation to the forwardlyextending loop at the rear end of the load supporting portion of theunit.

11. A spring unit embodying a load supporting portion made of wire bentback and forth to provide parallel transverse torsion bars joined byside bars, certain of the side bars being of different lengths andhaving an angular bend in the center, sections of loops at the forwardend of the load supporting portion being bent rearwardly and reverselybent to have the sections disposed in V relationship, the end bar of theterminal section being disposed parallel to the length of the loadsupporting portion of the unit, and a loop extending inwardly under therear end of the load supporting portion and forwardly of the torsion barat the end of the load supporting portion of the unit, said loop havingan extending bracing bar disposed in engagement with a forwardlydisposed torsion bar of the load supporting por- -tion of the springunit, said forwardly extending bracing bar being bent to increase theangle of engagement with the load supporting portion of the unit toprovide greater support therefor, said forwardly extending bracing barbeing a separate element which is secured in pivotal relation to theforwardly extending loop at the rear end of the load supporting portionof the unit.

12. A spring unit embodying a load supporting portion made of wire bentback and forth to provide parallel transverse torsion bars joined byside bars, certain of the side bars being of different lengths andhaving an angular bend in the center, sections of loops at the forwardend of the load supporting portion being bent rearwardly and reverselybent to have the sections disposed in V relationship, the end bar of theterminal section being disposed parallel to the length of the loadsupporting portion of the unit, a loop extending inwardly under the rearend of the load supporting portion and forwardly of the torsion bar atthe end of the load supporting portion of the unit, said loop having anextending bracing bar disposed in engagement with a forwardly disposedtorsion bar of the load supporting portion of the spring unit, saidforwardly extending bracing bar being bent to increase the angle ofengagement with the load supporting portion of the unit to providegreater support therefor, said forwardly extending bracing bar being aseparate element which is secured in fixed relation to the forwardlyextending loop at the rear end of the load supporting portion of theunit, and a coating of soundproof material on said bracing bars.

13. A spring unit embodying a load supporting portion made of wire bentback and forth to provide parallel transverse torsion bars joined byside bars, certain of the side bars being of different lengths andhaving an angular bend in the center, sections of loops at the forwardend of the load supporting portion being bent rearwardly and reverselybent to have the sections disposed in V relationship, the end bar of theterminal section being disposed parallel to the length of the loadsupporting portion of the unit, a loop extending inwardly under the rearend of the load supporting portion and forwardly of the torsion bar atthe end of the load supporting portion of the unit, said loop having anextending bracing bar disposed in engagement with a forwardly disposedtorsion bar of the load supporting portion of the spring unit, saidforwardly extending bracing bar being bent to increase the angle ofengagement with the load supporting portion of the unit to providegreater support therefor, said forwardly extending bracing bar being aseparate element which is secured in pivotal relation to the forwardlyextending loop at the rear end of the load supporting portion of theunit, and a coating of soundproof material on said bracing bars.

14. A spring unit embodying a load supporting portion made of wire bentback and forth to provide parallel transverse torsion bars joined byside bars, certain of the side bars being of difierent lengths andhaving an angular bend in the center, sections of loops beneath theforward end of the load supporting portion, the adjacent sectionextending rearwardly, the section therebelow extending forwardly, thetwo sections being disposed in V relationship, the rearwardly extendingsection having two portions in angular relation to each other permittingthe one portion adjacent to the forwardly extending section to collapsethereon when the unit is partially loaded, the other portion andforwardly extending section providing a greater resistance todeflection.

References (Iited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,548,968 Goldstein Apr. 17, 1951 2,565,021 Flint Aug. 21, 19512,629,430 Flint Feb. 24, 1953 2,639,763 Neely May 26, 1953 2,657,740Daniels et al. Nov. 3, 1953 2,684,844 Flint et a1 July 27, 1954 FOREIGNPATENTS 629,634 Great Britain Sept. 23, 1949 681,795 Great Britain Oct.29, 1952 683,676 Great Britain Dec. 3, 1952

